Carson voices support for DACA “Dreamers” to qualify for FHA mortgage

In today’s Daily Download episode, HousingWire Digital Producer Alcynna Lloyd covers the Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson’s statement to Congress that he supports DACA recipients to receive Federal Housing Administration mortgages.

For some background on the story, here’s a summary of the article:

Ben Carson, secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, told Congress on Tuesday that he supported Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival recipients being eligible for mortgages backed by the Federal Housing Administration.

Carson initially denied in his testimony that DACA recipients had been banned from getting FHA loans after President Donald Trump was sworn into office in 2017, then backpedaled.

“Do people have conversations? Yes they do,” Carson said. “And I’m sure they will continue to have those conversations. Am I privy to all their conversations? No. Do their conversations change the policies? Absolutely not,” he said.

“The whole thing started as the result of a question that was asked about it, and it then came to light that maybe some rules were being violated and people decided that they better pay closer attention to the rules,” Carson told Congress.

 Carson’s comments on so-called Dreamers, as DACA recipients are known, came four days after HUD records and internal communications released as part of a Freedom of Information Act confirmed HUD changed its policy to deny FHA loans for DACA recipients even as top officials told Congress the opposite. 

Following the main story, HousingWire covers the Federal Reserve’s pledge to keep buying Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities, a report from LendingTree that claims potential homebuyers are going to face historically low inventory this summer, and a survey from Assurant that indicates 38% of American renters will need rent relief in the next 90 days.

The Daily Download examines the most captivating articles reported from the HousingWire newsroom. HousingWire newsroom. Each afternoon, HousingWire provides its readers with a deeper look into the stories that are not only chronicling the biggest announcements within the housing finance industry but are also helping Move Markets Forward. Hosted by the HW team and produced by Alcynna Lloyd.

HousingWire articles covered in this episode:

• Under fire, Carson says HUD will allow DACA recipients to get FHA mortgages
• Fed pledges to maintain current pace of MBS purchases
• Potential homebuyers are going to face historically low inventory this summer
• Assurant survey: 38% of renters will need relief in the next 90 days